


special place

by hatae



Category: X1 (Korea Band)
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, First Crush, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Growing Up, Hufflepuff Hangyul, Jealousy, M/M, Quidditch, Ravenclaw Seungyoun, brief ryeonseung and hangyul/yena
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-13
Updated: 2019-09-26
Packaged: 2020-10-18 00:24:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20630027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hatae/pseuds/hatae
Summary: It’s in the third year that Hangyul realizes that he’s got a crush. It’s just with undisclosed horror that he realizes it’s not on his fellow-Hufflepuff Yena who always flashes him a sweet smile whenever their eyes meet, but on Seungyoun. The fifth-year Ravenclaw who everyone gets along with.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> i've been wanting to write a hp au for a while now, it was only when i started writing this that i realized just how young they are like what lmao??
> 
> i've thus reduced some of the age gaps between the members, mainly seungyoun and hangyul's bc i thought i was a lil jarring otherwise!
> 
> anyway, hope you enjoy :')

It’s in the third year that Hangyul realizes that he’s got a crush. It’s just with undisclosed horror that he realizes it’s not on his fellow-Hufflepuff Yena who always flashes him a sweet smile whenever their eyes meet, but on Seungyoun. The fifth-year Ravenclaw who everyone gets along with.

And when he says everyone he means _everyone_. He’s the kinda guy that always kindly helps teary-eyed first years to their classrooms when they can’t find it those first few weeks in the big castle. He’s the one who helps muggleborns understand aspects of the magical world they can’t even begin to comprehend on their own.

It’s easy for him, since he’s a half-blood and thus understands where they come from. It doesn’t matter which house they’re from. Hangyul can’t even begin to count the amount of times he’s gone to the Ravenclaw table with a question for Seungyoun. The older boy always welcomes him with a big smile and an offer to sit next to him.

  
Sometimes Hangyul wonder why he wasn’t sorted into Hufflepuff, with the way he’s nice to everyone and always willing to help out. There’s a reason he’s always surrounded with students from different houses. Not even Slytherins are able to withstand his charms.

But then he explains something to Hangyul in a way he immediately understands and he guesses it makes sense he was sorted into Ravenclaw.

He doesn’t know when his heart started beating faster when Seungyoun flashes him one of those grins that make his eyes nearly disappear, he just knows that once he notices he can’t _stop_ noticing it. The way his eyes always search for Seungyoun whenever he enters the great hall. Or how he has this dopey grin on his face whenever they pass each other in the corridors and Seungyoun greets him.

He’s not really subtle, he guesses.

“Do you like Seungyoun or something?”, Yohan asks as they’re walking back to their common room after playing a friendly game of quidditch with the Ravenclaws. Hangyul blinks and sneaks a glance at their fellow players, thankfully they’re all too engaged in their own conversations to listen to them, before glaring at his fellow beater.

“What? No!”, he lies vehemently. “What even gave you that idea?”

Yohan raises his eyebrows and snorts. “I don’t know, maybe the fact that you kept staring at him and literally ruined all our chances of winning?”

Hangyul desperately searches his mind for an answer that doesn’t sound completely moronic. As a beater he doesn’t have any tactical reason to keep an eye on a keeper, so that’s out of the question. And he’s not about to tell Yohan that Seungyoun’s really beautiful and he couldn’t keep his eyes off of him because of that.

So he settles on an uncomfortable shrug. Yohan laughs loudly and puts an arm around his shoulder. “Aww, are you shy?”

Hangyul feels his cheeks heat up and he’s never wanted to throttle someone as much as he has Yohan in that moment.

Then Yena skips over to them and asks what’s funny and his chance to do so is lost.

* * *

Hangyul doesn’t tell Seungyoun, obviously. He’s sure that a scrawny thirteen year old is not Seungyoun’s type. It sucks, but it is the way it is, he thinks with a pout as he makes his way over to his special spot by the lake one evening. He goes there if he wants to be alone or when he wants to write a letter to his adoptive parents.

He misses them a lot and he almost can’t help but get emotional whenever he writes them. So he’d rather do that privately.

He sits down and leans against the big tree next to the great lake he’s dubbed as his own special willow when a voice startles him.

“Hangyul?”

He looks up to see Seungyoun walking over to him from the actual path leading to the quidditch court. Hangyul took the less conventional route next to the lake, so they hadn’t seen each other.

It’s almost startling to see him alone, seeing as he’s almost always surrounded by other students. He’s not wearing his Ravenclaw tie, either. The sunset lights his face in the most wonderful way. Hangyul stares at him dumbly, before realizing that he should probably greet the older boy.

“Hey”, he says shyly, looking up at the grinning older boy who’s now looking down at him.

“Hello to you, too”, Seungyoun laughs as he sits down next to Hangyul. “I didn’t expect to see anyone here!”

“Me neither, actually. I thought this was my special little secret spot”, Hangyul says sheepishly. It’s not that students don’t gather around the lake, but his special willow is quite far from the school itself, so students mostly steer clear.

“Really? Same! Crazy that we haven’t come across each other before, then! I come here quite often to take a little bit of breather”, Seungyoun says and his smile diminishes a little. Something in Hangyul tells him that means something, but he’s too young to really understand. He doesn’t really get why Seungyoun would need that. He’s so popular. Isn’t having so many friends something everyone wants?

He nods as if he understands, though.

Seungyoun’s eyes travel to Hangyul’s hands. He nods to the pen and parchment Hangyul’s holding. He used to take a feather and ink, but then realized that using a pen is way less messy when writing on the ground.

“What’s that you got there?”, he asks and Hangyul’s suddenly hit with the realisation that Seungyoun’s giving him his unwavering attention, no friends to possibly distract him. No first years to demand his attention. It makes him giddy and nervous at the same time.

Hangyul bites his lip. “I was planning on writing my parents, actually.”

Seungyoun nods understandingly. “I can imagine that being easier over here. Whenever I write my mom I also seek solitude, because I always end up crying.”

He laughs easily at himself and Hangyul suddenly feels a lot less bad for getting emotional when he writes his own parents knowing Seungyoun does as well.

After that they meet up by their special willow at least once a week. It’s almost exhilarating to have this little secret with the boy everyone wants to be friends with. Besides, Seungyoun’s easy to talk to and he seems to enjoy Hangyul’s presence as well.

  
Of course, it doesn’t really help with Hangyul’s feelings, but getting to know Seungyoun helps him deal with them better. He doesn’t get shy anymore.

“Have you ever wondered what’s in the lake?”, Seungyoun wonders out loud when they’re both lounging and attempting to study for their exams that are in a week. The keyword in that sentence being ‘attempting’. It’s so hot Hangyul’s afraid he’s about to get a heat stroke.

“Why don’t you jump in and find out?”, he asks, that earns him and playful slap on the arm. He grins up at Seungyoun, who brushes his long hair out of his face to give him a semi-glare. He’s grown his hair out over the year and it makes him look unfairly attractive in Hangyul’s (admittedly) very biased opinion.

“I’m not a Gryffindor and also not an idiot, so no thanks”, Seungyoun says amusedly.

“Could’ve fooled me”, Hangyul says and Seungyoun groans, placing his head on Hangyul’s lap and looking up at him. They’re both sticky with sweat and it’s kinda gross, but Hangyul allows it because it’s Seungyoun.

“Where did my innocent little Hangyul go? He_ must_ still be in there somewhere.”

“Maybe hanging out with you corrupted me”, Hangyul says with a small shrug.

  
Seungyoun seems to mull this over for a while before nodding and covering his eyes with his hand so he can look up at Hangyul.

  
“That’s a fair point, actually.”

“Aren’t there grindylows in the lake?”, Hangyul says then, putting his book down. “We’ve learned about them this year.”

Seungyoun nods, there’s a lock of hair clinging to his sweaty forehead and Hangyul kinda wants to brush it away, but just thinking about it makes his pubescent brain short-circuit. “I also heard something about mermaids and a great squid.”

“Mermaids?”, Seungyoun snorts. “That’s so cute, Hangyul! Maybe you can fall in love with the Ariel that’s swimming around in there and live happily ever after.”

“But there are!”, Hangyul protests as Seungyoun starts singing ‘Part of your world’, standing up and dramatically pointing out onto the lake.

_“What’s a fire and why does it…what’s the word….? Burn! When’s it my turn, wouldn’t I love…love to explore that shore up above!”_

Hangyul looks up at him with barely concealed wonder. “You’re actually really good at singing, you know that?”

Seungyoun smiles. “Thanks, my biggest dream was to be a singer, actually.” He’s quiet for a while. “I suppose it still kind of is.”

“Really?”, Hangyul asks.

“Yup, I’ve never actually told anyone before”, Seungyoun says, sounding almost nervous. Though that’s probably in Hangyul’s mind, because he’s never seen Seungyoun in a state other than completely confident.

“Oh”, he says and Seungyoun’s face softens, he reaches out and ruffles Hangyul’s hair.

“They’re called merpeople”, he says and Hangyul almost leans into his touch.

It’s in fourth year that Hangyul begins to notice that Seungyoun starts hanging out with Seungwoo more. Seungwoo’s a seventh year Gryffindor that’s always been quite popular, seeing how he’s known as the school’s best chaser.

At first he doesn't really pay it any mind, just another person added to Seungyoun's ever growing list of friends.

  
But then he notices Seungwoo's constant _there-ness._ He doesn't sit at his own table anymore, he's always next to Seungyoun. Even in the hallway he always manages to somehow find Seungyoun. Not that the other boy seems to mind, judging by the jaunty grin that's always one his face whenever he's with Seungwoo.

Does he know Seungyoun's dream, Hangyul wonders.

"Careful, or you might turn green", Yohan notes when he catches him staring at the two walking a little ahead of them on their way to Hogsmeade. It's just the two of them, no other friends in sight and Hangyul doesn't know how to feel about it.

"What does that mean?", Junho, a second year Yohan's taken a liking to asks. Hangyul ruffles his hair. Junho's a cute kid. Perhaps a little expressionless sometimes, but he’ll grow out of it.

"Nothing, Junho", he smiles, before glaring at his best friend. "You need to shut up. I am NOT jealous."

  
Yohan puts a hand on Junho's shoulder. "This is where we part ways, Jun. We'll get you something nice from honeydukes, okay?"

  
"Okay", Junho squeaks, before running across the courtyard and joining his other friends. Eunsang, a Slytherin, quickly puts an arm around him so he's pulled into the circle and included. He's not too bad for a Slytherin, Hangyul decides.

_"I am not jealous_’, he says jealously”, Yohan interrupts his thoughts. “I see you still holding onto the belief that I can't see right through you. That's real cute, Hangyul.”

  
"You're right", Hangyul says and when Yohan's eyes widen he smiles sweetly. "I am real cute."

* * *

He supposes it makes sense that it should all come crumbling down one day. He just doesn't expect it to happen during a quidditch match against Ravenclaw.

He's been playing well, has learned how to not get distracted all the time by Seungyoun.

But then he's stopped, scanning the field for bludgers and his eye happens to fall on Seungyoun, who's just defended his goal. He's grinning, it's a cocky grin as he shoots a flying kiss into the audience.  
Hangyul doesn't even need to actually look to see to who it was directed to. He does anyway and finds Seungwoo standing there, sending one right back.

For a second Hangyul's frozen in place, just staring.

  
It's one second too long.

"Hangyul!", Yohan's panicked voice calls and before Hangyul can do anything a bludger hits him straight in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him.

  
The pain is overwhelming and Hangyul can't breathe. His arms automatically go to his stomach and then he's falling.

  
_You fucking idiot_, he thinks as his eyes search and find Seungyoun's panicked-ridden ones watching him fall.

  
He wasn't that high up, but the moment he hits the ground everything goes black.

When he wakes up he groans. He opens his eyes and finds that it's dark around him. He would recognize the decorated ceiling above him anywhere, though. He's in the hospital wing. He's not in any actual pain anymore, but he does feel a bit woozy.

He startles when there's a pressure on his hand.

  
He turns around and finds himself eye-to-eye with Seungyoun, who's sitting on his bed and holding his hand.

  
He opens his mouth, only to be shushed by Seungyoun.

"Whisper so we don't wake Madam Pomfrey", Seungyoun whispers.

  
"Why are you here?", he hisses. Last time he checked visiting hours stopped at around 5PM.

"I went over to help you and got hit in the arm by that same nasty bludger", Seungyoun says softly with a small laugh, as he nods to his arm, which is indeed in a cast.

  
"Oh God, I'm so sorry", he groans, quickly quieting down when Seungyoun shushes him again. "I'm the worst Beater ever. This is not gonna do the Hufflepuff reputation any good."

Seungyoun squeezes his hand. "Loosing your concentration like that was a stupid move. You're supposed to protect your teammates, as well as yourself."

  
Hangyul nods, shame rearing its ugly head. It's true. What Seungyoun's saying is absolutely true.

"Still, I was worried", Seungyoun whispers. "We all were. Your teammates had to be kicked out kicking and screaming."

  
Hangyul snorts. "Yeah, that sounds like them."

"You're lucky you have such good friends", the older boys whispers and when Hangyul gives him a disbelieving look he giggles.

  
"I mean, they're all so loyal to you. With some of my friends I'm not sure...if they're always gonna be there for me, y'know", Seungyoun says softly and suddenly he looks like the sixteen year old he actually is. Suddenly Seungyoun's just a teenager with worries like anyone else, sitting in Hangyul's hospital bed with a broken arm, instead of this untouchable figure Hangyul's feelings had made him out to be.

  
Strangely it doesn't turn Hangyul off. If anything it makes Seungyoun even more endearing and it fucking terrifies Hangyul.

"Except for you and Seungwoo, I suppose", Seungyoun says.

  
"Me and Seungwoo", Hangyul echoes tonelessly.

Seungyoun looks at him with an unreadable look.

  
"What made you lose focus like that?", he asks quietly. Hangyul looks up at the ceiling and feels his heartbeat quicken.

"I don't know", he lies, feeling strangely defensive, almost the same way he feels when Yohan drills him about it. He doesn’t know what exactly leads him to say the next sentence. "Maybe Choi Yena."

Seungyoun stirs a little. Maybe in shock. Hangyul doesn't know.

  
"Oh", he says, sounding strange. "That makes sense, I guess."

Hangyul stubbornly keeps his eyes on the ceiling, even as Seungyoun gets off the bed. "Feel better, Hangyul. If you need something, I'm right next to you."

And with that he slips behind the curtain and into his own hospital bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> these are the houses i personally think they'd belong in, but we won't know until they someday do the pottermore quiz :') what would you guys place them in?
> 
> i love writing the ravenpuff dynamic, tho. it's an interesting one!!
> 
> pls do let me know what you thought of it so far!!
> 
> [ my tumblr](http://chosyohan.tumblr.com).


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for the sweet feedback on the last chapter, dudes. that's always super nice :')

Seungyoun leaves the next morning without his cast. He gives Hangyul a small smile, which Hangyul attempts to return, but judging by the look on Seungyoun's face, ends up coming out as more of a grimace.

  
Hangyul needs to be monitored a little more. The bludger did some internal damage and Pomfrey wants to be sure he's fine.

  
The team enters not even five seconds after Seungyoun’s left.

  
Yohan claims the chair next to the bed, relief written all over his features as his other teammates gather around the bed, talking over each as they ask him how he is, if he’s been in any pain at all, if he’s been awake for a long time.

  
Hangyul quickly reassures them all, smiles at a pale Yena and ruffles Junho's hair, before looking over at his best friend.

  
"I'm so glad you're okay", Yohan says as he grabs Hangyul's hand. "I should've noticed you were distracted and gone over to help you."

"Don't say that. It was my responsibility, not any of yours. Did we-?", he stops when he notices the tense looks on everyone's faces.

  
Their leader Minhyuk is the one that speaks up. "No, we didn't. We tried to cancel the match, but that's not allowed. It's not really on you, though. I mean, yeah, we had to be more on the lookout for bludgers", Hangyul's stomach turns uncomfortably. "But Seungyoun was gone as well, so we were able to get some more goals in. In the end the snitch was caught by Ravenclaw, though."

  
That explains why Yena's looking so down then. As a seeker she must feel responsible.

"No one blames you, Yena. It was just a shitty match, everyone was distracted and worried", Minhyuk says when he notices her expression.

Everyone nods in acknowledgement.

She blinks the tears in her eyes away and nods. "Thanks, you guys."

  
Suddenly Hangyul is filled with so much determination he surprises even himself.

  
"Next match is going to be different, we're going to win against Gryffindor so hard they won't know what's coming."

  
That seems to cheer everyone up and when they all leave for breakfast a little later they’re smiling.  
All but Yohan, who's stayed and is still looking at Hangyul guiltily.

"I like Seungyoun", Hangyul admits, if only to get that look from his face. Granted, it does. It’s as if it was never there, as Yohan is now staring at him in disbelief, probably not daring to belief that his headstrong best friend actually admitted to something.

"Oh", he says dumbly and Hangyul knows the only reason he's not rubbing the fact that he knew it all along in his face is because he feels bad.

"I like Seungyoun and I don't know how to stop", he says, voice quivering slightly.

Yohan's face falls and he squeezes Hangyul's hand.

"It's okay to like someone, Gyul", Yohan tells him quietly, with more maturity than Hangyul's come to expect from his best friend.

"Not him, though", Hangyul denies.

  
"Why is that?"

"Oh, I don't know? Maybe because I don't stand a chance? Everyone likes him, basically every girl in this school has a crush on him. Hell, I'm pretty sure almost half of the boys as well", he sniffs "And he likes someone else."

"How do you know that?", Yohan asks.

Hangyul sighs. "Because I have eyes, Yohan. Come on, you can't tell me you haven't noticed him and Seungwoo have been getting super close."

  
Yohan thinks about that for a while. "I suppose they have been getting closer."

"Right, they've been eye-fucking each other each time they're in the same room", Hangyul sighs and Yohan's eyes widen as he looks over at Madam Pomfrey, who's helping a kid with two ginormous zits on his face a couple of beds further. A Weasley souvenir no doubt.

  
"Hangyul", he hisses, absolutely scandalized. And if Hangyul wasn't busy being petulant he'd laugh at him for it.

"It's true", Hangyul says bitterly. "And what am I compared to the perfect Seungwoo? I'm a way worse player than he is, this incident just proved that. I'm basically a midget compared to him. And he's also super good-looking, and I'm...me."

Frustration boils up in his throat. He huffs. "It's not fair."

Yohan shakes his head. "Of course it's not. But you’re also three years younger than him. He's seventeen, that's like...", Yohan waves his hand. "Y'know, super old. It's no wonder he's better than you in many aspects right now. Once you get older I bet you’re gonna beat him at every single one."

Hangyul smiles a little. Yohan's always a little awkward in the way he tries to make others feel better, but his bumbling does always cheer him up.

  
"You think so?"

  
"I _know_ so", Yohan says wisely, as if he's a fortune teller with all the wisdom in the world. "Besides, you're already pretty good looking."

Hangyul grins as he pulls puts his hands on his cheeks. "Stop it, mister Kim. you're making me blush."

  
"Ha ha", Yohan says with an affectionate eye roll. "No, but seriously, Yena’s got like a massive crush on you."

  
"Really?", Hangyul asks, lowering his hands. He's had his suspicions, of course, but to actually hear it confirmed is a whole other things. It’s…flattering.

"Yep, she won't stop going on about you", Yohan frowns. "It's kind of annoying everyone, to be completely frank."

"Hmm", Hangyul says.

Seungyoun and Seungwoo start dating some weeks after the incident. It's disappointing, but not surprising. They're the talk of the school, though and Hangyul ignores the worried looks Yohan keeps sending his way. Though he has to keep himself from sending a bludger straight to Seungwoo’s head when they have their match a couple of days later.

In the end they do win and finish the match without any casualties. He impulsively asks Yena out after seeing Seungyoun pepper kisses all over Seungwoo’s crestfallen face and she accepts happily.

When Seungyoun and Hangyul meet up at the special willow he tells the older boy.

"I heard!", Seungyoun beams and he reaches up to brush a lock of hair behind his ear, a habit no doubt. He smiles cheepishly when his fingers don't find any. He cut it recently. "I'm really happy for you! She seems like a sweet girl."

"Yeah, I'm happy for you, too", Hangyul says and that's not a lie. He is happy for Seungyoun. He seems genuinely happy with the older chaser.

"And to think I thought you had a crush on me", Seungyoun says and Hangyul whips his head around to look at him, searching desperately for signs of amusement Seungyoun’s eyes.

  
"What?", he asks hoarsely.

"Yeah, you used to always get so shy around me. I genuinely though that you were head over heels for me. I felt bad for not saying anything", Seungyoun says with an amused little smile. Hangyul thinks he looks so beautiful even when he basically is ripping Hangyul's heart out of his chest.

He looks back out onto the lake and speaks, in a voice he barely recognizes. He imagines merpeople must sound as scratchy and raw as he does now when they're forced onto land. He feels_ breathless._ "Don't think so highly of yourself, man."

"I suppose you're right", Seungyoun says easily and then he metaphorically stabs a dagger into the heart he's already holding. "It doesn't matter anymore, anyhow."

"No", Hangyul rasps as his fingers dig into the earth. "I guess I don't."

He feels Seungyoun's gaze burning into the side of his head, but keeps his eyes pointed at the lake as he stubbornly ignores the insistent burning behind his eyes.

* * *

Him and Yena don't last, of course. By the end of the school year she breaks up with him.

He's frustrated, because he thinks if she'd just held out a little longer he might have started to learn how to like her. (Later he’ll realize just how selfish he was.)

"Did I do something wrong?", he asks simply as they get off the train. Her eyes are wet with unshed tears and Hangyul wants to kiss her to make her feel better, but he comes to the brutal realization he can't fix things that way anymore.

"No, you haven't. You haven't done anything wrong", Yena says and her normally cheerful voice is dull. It's unnerving to say the least. "You just...don't like me and it's time we both come to terms with that."

And with that she walks over to her parents.

Hangyul's rooted to the spot for a second. Then there's a tap onto his shoulder and he turns around to see both Seungyoun and Seungwoo standing there, waiting for him to make way.

"You okay, Hangyul? ", Seungwoo asks.

  
A choked laugh forces its was out of his throat, because despite it all, it’s kinda funny that of all people, Seungwoo is the one who asks him that.

"Gyul?", Seungyoun asks worriedly and for a second Hangyul hates him. Fucking _loathes_ him. He wants to yell at him and blame him for everything.

He doesn’t of course, because even with the small emotional range only a fourteen year old can posses, he realizes that that’s not fair. That it’s not Seungyoun’s fault Hangyul fell in love with him.

So he presses his lips together and nods, before stiffly walking away. He doesn’t notice the way Seungwoo and Seungyoun aren’t holding hands like they usually are, nor does he notice the way they barely look at each other.

Hangyul walks over to his parents and buries his face in his mother’s shoulder.

* * *

  
That summer Hangyul loses his baby fat and grows nearly two heads, he's taller than his dad when he leaves for school. It's the first time he doesn't have to wipe away tears when he leaves.

He's about to join a carrier with Junho and Eunsang, as Yohan has been chosen as a prefect and thus will not be joining him until a little later, when he spots Yena, they stare at each other for a while. Then he gives her a tentative smile, which she thankfully returns and he knows he's forgiven.

He doesn't expect to see Seungyoun again until they've reached Hogwarts, but to his surprise about an hour into the trip Yohan as well as the older Ravenclaw join them in the carrier.  
Hangyul’s glad to see he's grown his hair out over the past two months. He still thinks he looks best with long hair.

  
He knows he's still not over Seungyoun, not completely. But he's...okay. He's come to terms with it.

"You guys mind Seungyoun joining us?", Yohan asks as he sits down next to Junho. "Most departments are already full."

No one minds Seungyoun joining them, of course.

Seungyoun sits down next to Hangyul and after making pleasant conversation, leans back and puts his head on Hangyul's shoulder before closing his eyes.

"You tired?", Hangyul murmurs when he notices the dark circles under his eyes. Seungyoun nods.

"Incredibly. My mom couldn't bring me, so I had to take the underground. I had to get up at five", he groans. "I should've taken the knight bus."

Hangyul makes a mental note to ask him about this knight bus later.

"You can sleep a bit", Hangyul reassures him. "I'll wake you up when we're almost there. And if I don’t Yohan will, seeing how he’s now the really_ responsible_ one of the two of us."

Yohan rolls his eyes at him, but he’s grinning. His parents must’ve been over the moon, seeing how they’re both wizards.

"Oh. I didn't tell you", Seungyoun says quietly, opening his eyes to look into Hangyul's. They're very close and Hangyul feels Seungyoun's little puffs of breath against his lips. "I'm a head boy now."

Just like Seungwoo, Hangyul thinks. He leans back.

"Head boy, huh? Congrats", he smiles. "I'm happy for you."

"Thanks", Seungyoun says, then. "You've changed, Gyul."

Hangul hums and looks up to see Yohan giving him a strange look. Right, he still doesn’t know about the fact that Hangyul and Seungyoun got close by seeing each at the lake so often.

"Later", he mouths, just to get Yohan off his back. He'd rather jump in the Great Lake and kiss the giant squid before telling his best friend about their special place, because he _knows_ Yohan and he knows he's never gonna shut up about it otherwise. 

They spend the rest of the journey trading chocolate frog cards and Hangyul ends up showing Junho and Eunsang videos on his phone, careful not to jostle the now sleeping Seungyoun too much. They’re both purebloods, probably far off family, and have thus never even used a phone before. They’re both incredibly intrigued.

  
"And you really can't talk to them at all?", Junho asks with big eyes as he watches a video of Hangyul learning his mom how to ice-skate. It's filmed very poorly, because his dad had done the filming, but Hangyul loves it nonetheless.

"No, they don't hear you", Yohan says confidently, as if he didn’t have to be told the exact same thing five years ago when Hangyul showed him his phone for the first time.

  
"That's...pretty neat. We have a painting of my great aunt hanging in our hallway and she_ never_ stops talking", Eunsang says, looking exhausted just thinking about it.

  
Hangyul pulls a face and shudders. Pureblood families and their pretentious habits would forever be a mystery to him. Seungyoun stirs a bit and Hangyul quickly relaxes

True to his word he wakes Seungyoun up when they're almost there.

  
They all start getting into their house clothes, which is suddenly a lot harder now that they’ve all grown quite a bit.

"When did you get so tall?", Seungyoun asks in wonder behind him and Hangyul turns around to find himself not having to strain his neck to look at him anymore. In fact, they're basically eye-level now.  
It's clear Seungyoun’s still got an inch or two on him, but before Hangyul came to his chest.

"You've said it yourself, I've changed", he winks, feeling pretty good about himself. Seungyoun nods slowly.

“I guess you have.”

* * *

After Hangyul gets appointed as quidditch captain and puts together the dream team he notes Seungyoun just kinda floats into his friend group and stays there. It's not that he doesn’t have his previous group of friends anymore, it’s just that more often than not Seungyoun sits with them in the great hall. No one thinks it's strange, because it's Cho Seungyoun.

Because it's Cho Seungyoun, the popular Ravenclaw everyone likes.

Hangyul wonders if that's all there is to it.

They still see each other at their special willow. Hangyul's glad, he'd hate to give that up… even if they do speak each other more regularly now.

"Me and Seungwoo broke up", Seungyoun tells him when he sits down next to him. They’re both wearing jackets, as it’s properly fall now and Seungyoun's hair is back to the length it was before him and Seungwoo started dating.

Hangyul feels a little flicker of hope, before being disgusted with himself as worry takes over.

"Seungyoun, I'm so sorry", he says. "Are you okay?"

Seungyoun shrugs. "I don't know. Things weren't going that well anymore by the end of last year. We didn't really see each other a whole lot this summer and yesterday he wrote a letter saying he wants to end things."

  
Hangyul winces. Breaking up via letter is the pureblood equivalent of breaking up via text. He can’t even count the amount of times he’s seen a girl break down crying in the great hall with a letter fisted in her hand. Still, it’s better than the howlers.

"That's so shitty", he bristles. Seungyoun lets out a humorless laugh and blows a lock of hair out of his eyes.

"Tel me about it."

Hangyul inspects Seungyoun a little closer. For someone who's just broken up with his boyfriend he looks...remarkably fine. He's not in any distress. He isn't holding back tears.

It takes Hangyul a while to be able to properly place the look on his face.

It's relief.

  
He looks relieved.

Hangyul’s not sure how to deal with that. He puts a tentative hand on Seungyoun's arm. "You'll be fine."

Seungyoun smiles at him. His own hand covering up Hangyul’s. Hangyul notes that his hand is smaller than he’d expected. Or maybe Hangyul’s really just grown that much these past couple of months. "Yeah, I think I will be with you here with me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hah hope you guys are still enjoying it!!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> seungyul nation, i appreciate you :')

Yohan and Hangyul grow gradually more popular that year. The handsome, tall chaser duo. One a prefect, the other the quidditch captain. They both laugh about it, but Hangyul suddenly has to turn down a lot of confessions. He tries to tell himself it’s out of respect for Yena that he never accepts one, but a certain Ravenclaw’s smile making him feel light-headed reminds him that’s probably not the case.

It’s all too good to last, of course. It's not that Hangyul means to overhear Yohan and Seungyoun talking. It's just that he's hungry and on his way to the kitchen and he happens to pass by where the prefect and head boy happened to come across each other on patrol (something caused by the new trend of young students wandering the hallways at night in search of secret hallways after a third year Hangyul greatly suspects was Eunsang started a rumour one led to Honeydukes).

"- don't like you or anything, but why are you hanging out with us all of a sudden?", he hears Yohan ask.

"Cause I like you guys", another voice answers, hurt evident. Hangyul freezes when he realizes it’s Seungyoun. He hadn’t been sure, since their friend group extended quite a bit the past couple of months.

  
"Just one a little more than the rest?", his best friends asks sharply and the questions hangs in the air for a couple of seconds. Hangyul really shouldn't be listening in on this conversation. His feet keep him rooted to the spot, though.

"I don't know what you're taking about", Seungyoun answers quietly.

"Oh come on, hyung. We both know damn well what this is about. Seungwoo broke up with you and now you need a replacement. Someone just as popular as you to keep up your perfect facade, isn't that right?", Yohan asks and it’s the first time he’s sounded this cruel.

Hangyul swallows the bile in his throat. He knows that's not all he is to Seungyoun, though. That_ can't_ be the case.

"That's 5 points from Hufflepuff for disrespecting a head boy, Kim", Seungyoun says thinly, discarding the accusation, and it's the first time Hangyul’s heard him this angry. Blind fury begins to bubble up in his own throat at the dismissive answer.

"He doesn’t deserve this", Yohan continues, quieter this time, and Hangyul is torn between wanting to yell at him shut up and walk away. "He was just getting over you."

"What?", Seungyoun asks, just as quiet and Hangyul’s appetite crumbles into ash as he quickly rounds the corner, heading straight for them. They both whip round, looking startled, then they're both staring at him as though he's a ghost of someone they knew moved on.

"You guys having a good time talking about me?", he asks, voice quavering dangerously. He feels angrier than he ever has. It's a strange feeling, since he's usually patient and not prone to anger. Prides himself in it, even. 

"Hangyul-, Yohan starts, voice small.

  
"No, I think you've done more than enough talking", Hangyul snaps. "I can't fucking believe you, Kim Yohan."

  
Yohan's face falls and his lip starts trembling and Hangyul knows he's gonna feel bad about this later, but right now he's so blinded by rage he barely even registers it.

He looks over at Seungyoun, who's still looking at him with a mortified expression.

  
"So that's what you've been seeing me as? A Seungwoo replacement?", Hangyul asks, betrayal coursing through him. Years of ignored feelings spilling out at once.

Seungyoun brusquely shakes his head. "What? _No!_ No, of course not!"

  
"You didn’t even bother denying it", Hangyul says loudly. Seungyoun looks so out of his field like this, with no immediate answer ready and no friends to back him up. That sets Hangyul off even more. "All this time you've been saying that I'm the only one who actually gives a shit and that you really appreciate it, but let's face it, Seungyoun. This is exactly why everyone eventually leaves you."

Seungyoun eyes widen in shock, before hurt appears in them. So apparent it leaves Hangyul reeling. As they stand there staring at each other, he starts to realize what exactly he just said to Seungyoun.  
An accusation made from little snippets of things he picked up on from all their little talks. Because he can finally understand those little things Seungyoun doesn’t like to let on to just anyone. He knows Seungyoun, he know he’s a Ravenclaw and he overthinks everything and so when someone’s doesn’t think he’s worth hanging out with anymore he beats himself up over it and it hurts him.

  
So he took those little snippets and formed it into the sentence he _knew_ would hurt Seungyoun most.

And for what? Because of something completely baseless Hangyul realistically knows isn’t true. Because Seungyoun didn’t react the way Hangyul so desperately wanted him to.

He feels sick.

Seungyoun's not looking at him anymore. He's staring at the ground, his long hair covering most of his face. He looks a lot smaller than he actually is.

"Well, I guess I was wrong about that", Seungyoun says and his voice is all wobbly and Hangyul can’t breathe for a second. He can’t have just thrown away years of friendship like that. He can't have.

"No, I… Seungyoun, I didn't mean-", he starts, but the older boy shakes his head, looking up.

  
There's tears swimming in his pretty eyes. Hangyul's always found Seungyoun's eyes his most attractive feature. It's a fucked up thing to remember, given the situation.

"Well, you said it anyway", he says unevenly. "For what it's worth. I've never seen you as a Seungwoo replacement", his lower lip trembles. "Ever."

And with that he whips around and stalks off.

And something in the way he holds himself tells Hangyul that he doesn't need to bother chasing after him right now, no matter how much he might want to and explain, just fucking confess everything. Just so he doesn’t have to see Seungyoun hurting anymore.

That leaves Hangyul and Yohan, who's still very much on the verge of tears. Hangyul tiredly turns around to face him.

  
"I'm sorry, Gyul", Yohan says softly.

  
"I know. I know...I just", he ruffles a frustrated hand through his hair. "I don't need you to fight my battles for me."

Yohan guiltily looks down at the floor. "Of course you don’t. I just wanted to _know._ Once and for all. I don't want you to get hurt again."

  
Despite everything Hangyul softens a bit. He pulls Yohan into a short hug. "Thanks for tying to look out for me, Yohan."

  
Yohan's voice is muffled in Hangyul’s shoulder. "Someone's got to."

Hangyul tries to go to sleep. After reassuring Yohan about ten times that he's not mad anymore and that he's forgiven him he's been tossing and turning non-stop.

  
It's at about 3AM that he concludes that he can't possibly sleep like this. He regrets not ignoring that entire thing and going to the kitchens, because he's still hungry and he keeps seeing the hurt swimming in Seungyoun’s' eyes whenever he closes his eyes.

He goes to wander the halls and though his original plan was to head to the kitchen, he finds himself standing before the entrance to the Ravenclaw dorm.

He looks down at the eagle knocker of a big door that leads to the tower and touches it gingerly. He’s glad Seungyoun told him about the knocker, because he would’ve positively almost had a heart attack if he hadn’t been warned.

A deep, booming voice asks: “What gets broken without being held?”

Hangyul think about it for a while. Not an object that’s for sure. It almost sounds like something Seungyoun would ask when he’s in one of his philosophical moods, looking up at the sky by their special willow with a bright look in his eyes.

“A promise”, he realizes.

The door swings open and Hangyul practically buzzes as he looks up the stairs and before he can change his mind he channels his inner (very deeply hidden) Gryffindor and enters the Ravenclaw common room, holding his wand in font of him to light the way.

Seungyoun sadly isn't waiting for with open arms and an ‘I forgive you’ in the common room, so wild goose chase it is. He's never been to Seungyoun's room before, has never actually seen Ravenclaw's common room either, but his mind's a little too preoccupied to ooh and aah at everything.

He vaguely remembers Seungyoun complaining that seventh years have to walk down the entire corridor before reaching their room, so he takes a gamble and opens the very last door.  
To his relief his eyes search and quickly find Seungyoun, as the candle by his bedside is the only one still burning. He's sleeping, though. His cellphone laying limply in his hands.

Hangyul quietly creeps over to his bed, careful not to wake anyone. He can already imagine being expelled with the name pervert muttered as he leaves with his head hanging down because he was sneaking around the Ravenclaw dorm in the middle of the night. His worries dissipate when he eventually stands over Seungyoun, his face is calm in his slumber.

He smacks his lips and groans when Hangyul shakes him gently the first time.

  
At the second shake his eyes flutter open. They're red-rimmed and Hangyul realizes with a start that he's been crying. He hates that he was the cause for it. The moment his eyes fall on Hangyul he smiles sleepily, his eyes warm.

"Hey", he mumbles hoarsely and then his eyes widen and he drags Hangyul on top of his bed before closing all the binds and casting a silencing charm.  
The only light they have now is Hangyul's wand.

Hangyul swallows when his gaze shifts to him again, he takes it as a good sign that Seungyoun didn't immediately throw him out.

"Why are you here?", the older boy asks, this time there's a carefully constructed mask of blankness covering his face. Hangyul can’t possibly see how he’s feeling. It doesn’t seem like he’s seething, so that’s good.

Why is he here, though?

"I just...I needed you to know that what I told you isn't true and I'm so fucking sorry I even said in the first place", Hangyul says quickly, heart beating in his throat. "I never want to hurt you like that or make you cry and....and even if I was frustrated I shouldn't have said it."

“Thank you.” Seungyoun lets out a small sigh, pauses slightly, before saying: "I'm also sorry I didn't immediately defend you. That was really shitty of me."

Hangyul bites his lip and nods to let Seungyoun know he's forgiven. Seungyoun nods back before smiling dorkily.

"Wow Gyul, our first fight. That's one for the year book." He laughs, reaching out to play with Hangyul’s earring. He gave Hangyul shit for it when he noticed it after autumn break. (“Just getting an earring doesn’t make you cool”, he’d said with an obnoxious little eyebrow wiggle. “You need two like me.”), but eventually found himself playing with it when they were talking. Hangyul nearly sobs out of relief when he does, the Seungyoun from a couple of hours ago seemed so distant and hurt that Hangyul was scared he’d never touch him again. "I'll give Yohan those points back at some point. I think our little spat scared the shit out of him."

And suddenly all of Hangyul resolve crumbles.

It's a dumb place and not at all romantic, but Hangyul knows that if he doesn't say it now he never will.

"I like you", he says breathlessly and it echoes through his chest so loudly that he nearly misses Seungyoun’s wide-eyed “But last year you said-“

"I know what I said", he interrupts. "I lied. I've liked you since third year. And I guess I wasn't subtle about it."

He laughs breathlessly when Seungyoun doesn't immediately answer. Mild hysteria coursing through him. "I was so fucking jealous of Seungwoo, you don't even know."

Seungyoun slowly retracts his hand, his fingers brushing against Hangyul’s cheek. To his surprise they linger there. Hangyul knows he’s probably looking at Seungyoun like a deer caught in headlights. Seungyoun smiles reassuringly.

“You really weren’t subtle at all about that either. Seungwoo used to always ask me why you hated him so much.”

Seungyoun’s face falls a bit. “Though I suppose I wasn’t really either.”

Hangyul feels his cheeks redden in anticipation. “What does that mean?”, he asks and his voice is high-pitched, the way it gets when he’s nervous. He winces a bit at himself, but Seungyoun doesn’t laugh at him. Instead he looks at his blanket.

“I didn’t love him and he…noticed. I mean, how couldn’t he?”, Seungyoun laughs a little, but it’s really not funny at all. It reminds Hangyul of Yena. The older boy seems to realize and quickly stops. “I tried so hard to make us both believe I did love him. I really fucking tried. I mean, what wasn’t to love? He was handsome, responsible, a really good person and just everything I should have ever wanted.”

His hand falls from Hangyul’s cheek to his shoulder and he grips it tight, looking up with a pained expression. “But I didn’t love him.”

Hangyul moves automatically, he pulls the older boy forward into a hug that's probably a bit too tight. Anything to get that expression off his face. It’s kind of awkward with Seungyoun’s arm lodged in between them, but Seungyoun relaxes into it nonetheless. He smells of vanilla and wash softener.

“It’s okay”, Hangyul says, even though it’s really not. “I understand.” That much is true.

“I know”, Seungyoun sighs into his shoulder. “I heard her back then.”

It’s not one of Hangyul’s fondest memories. Actually, if he were to list his fond memories that one would probably be way at the bottom, perhaps right above the one of some bully telling him he doesn't have real parents when he was young.

“I like you, too, Gyul. So much”, Seungyoun says, his familiar voice soft and shaky in his ear and Hangyul almost melts. Had he told Hangyul last year he would’ve thought he wasn’t good for Seungyoun, that he deserved someone like Seungwoo-

but it’s not last year. Hangyul’s older now, more confident and he knows Seungyoun isn’t this untouchable figure his thirteen year old self made him up to be. In fact, he’s the one comforting Seungyoun right now. “I realized it last year. I just…I didn’t know how to deal with it back then cause you were still…so young.”

At this Hangyul pulls away. “I’m fifteen now.”

“Yeah, you’re older now. But imagine a third year crushing on you now. I mean”, he giggles. “I guess you don’t have to. You’ve got enough admirers.”

Hangyul winces as he thinks about the groups of third years giggling when he and Yohan pass. He can’t imagine going out with a thirteen year old. It’s gross just thinking about it. Seungyoun laughs when he notices his expression.

“I know, right?”

His eyes soften then and Hangul’s so fucking_ weak_ for him. The light from Hangyul’s wand isn’t particularly flattering, but even in this light nobody even fucking compares to Seungyoun. “I guess I do owe you an explanation, so here goes”, Seungyoun nods, as if to give himself some courage. “The reason I was with you guys so often this year is because I didn’t want you to forget me.”

Hangyul nearly does a double take. “What?”

Seungyoun’s ears are red when he speak again. “I know! It’s embarrassing. It’s just that…you got so …I don’t know? Mature all of a sudden and people were suddenly noticing you and I was scared you’d forget about me….when I’ve in fact been there for you the entire time, but y’know…”, that last part he mutters.

Hangyul silently looks at him for a while, Seungyoun nervously bites his lip. Hangyul deadpans. “Y’know, for a Ravenclaw you sure can be pretty dumb sometimes.”

Seungyoun abruptly tackles him onto the bed, tickling him mercilessly as he laughs. “You little shit! I open up my heart to you and this is what you say to me? Some Hufflepuff you are!”

Hangyul shrieks in laughter and thanks the heavens for Seungyoun and his instinct to cast a silencing charm. His wand somehow gets squished underneath him and, unsurprisingly, they find themselves in sudden darkness when Seungyoun stops tickling him. Hangyul completely pinned as Seungyoun straddles him. Their faces are very close and Hangyul can feel Seungyoun’s little exhales of air against his lips. Tension immediately builds.

He swallows nervously, probably should’ve mentally prepared himself a little more for this moment.

“Gyul”, Seungyoun says quietly and Hangyul nods, before remembering that the older boy can’t actually see him.

“Yeah”, he whispers.

“We don’t have to do anything if you don’t feel ready yet”, he says to Hangyul’s surprise and he awkwardly fishes behind his back for his wand, their faces light up the moment he manages to pull it out from under himself. Seungyoun’s eyes are sincere and kind and all Hangyul’s nervousness seeps out of his body.

“Are you kidding me? I’ve been waiting for two years. You better pucker up”, Hangyul grins as he pulls a now beaming Seungyoun down.

It’s kind of awkward at first. They bump noses a couple of times, since the only person’s Hangyul’s ever done this with before was Yena and she’s all small features and softness.

Seungyoun’s larger and sharper under his hands, more insistent too once they get behind the giggles.

It’s still perfect, though and Hangyul can’t wait to explore everything. To know every little spot that makes Seungyoun weak in the knees. Makes him forget everything and just focus on Hangyul.

They break apart and stare at each other with large grins. The older boy rolls off of him and closes his eyes with a smile on his face. Hangyul takes in every tiny little detail of his face. His slightly swollen eyes (Hangyul’s gonna make that one right properly), his dimples and smile lines, his slightly plump lips. He still takes Hangyul’s breath away, that’s for sure.

“What are you thinking about?”, Hangyul asks amusedly when Seungyoun finally opens his eyes.

Seungyoun lets out a satisfied sigh. “About how happy I am. What about you?”

“How the weather’s gonna be tomorrow. Me and the team really need to practice”, he jokes and Seungyoun groans, weakly putting his small hand onto Hangyul’s face and pushing him away. Hangyul’s expected it, so he doesn’t budge an inch and just laughs at the expiration on Seungyoun’s face.

“Nevermind. I’ve changed my mind, you care more about quidditch than you care about your own boyfriend”, Seungyoun says dramatically, wiping his hand on Hangyul’s pyjamas, because of course he licked it.

“Boyfriend?”, Hangyul asks and Seungyoun purses his lips, ears reddening a bit.

“See, this is what happens when you’re mean to me. I get so upset I forget to ask you out first”, he mumbles, leaning forward and burying his face into Hangyul’s chest. Hangyul automatically puts his arms around him, endeared. “If you make another remark about my intelligence I_ will_ throttle you.”

“I wasn’t going to”, Hangyul defends himself. “It’s cute!”

Seungyoun’s quiet for a second. “Really?”

Hangyul laughs, tightening his grip a bit. “Yes. Also, yes, I want to be your boyfriend.”

Seungyoun laughs, muffled. “So many girls are going to be heartbroken by this news.”

Hangyul puts his cheek on his head and lets his familiar scent calm him, he suddenly realizes just how tired he actually is. He yawns. “There’s still Yohan.”

Despite not being able to see Seungyoun's face he can imagine the affectionate eyeroll. “No wonder they didn’t make you a prefect.”

Hangyul smiles broadly. “You love it.”

When Seungyoun speaks again his voice is soft and genuine. “Yeah, I do love you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and there we have it, idk why but this chapter was a lil bit of a hassle to write. i wasn't really happy with the way it was going but then i changed my mind and did like it, so there was a LOT of rewriting in this one lmao
> 
> but anyway, it's been a fun ride, i hope you guys enjoyed it as much as it did <3
> 
> [ my tumblr](http://chosyohan.tumblr.com).
> 
> EDIT: LET IT BE KNOWN THAT I WILL FOREVER BE FURIOUS THAT THEY WERE TREATED LIKE THIS BY THESE DUMBASS COMPANIES LITERALLY I AM SO MAD WTF


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